Lentibacillus salis sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from a salt lake

A Gram-positive, moderately halophilic bacterium, designated strain BH113T, was isolated from a salt lake located in Xinjiang Province, China. Cells of the strain were aerobic, spore-forming, motile rods with flagella. The organism grew optimally at 37 degrees C and pH 8.0 in the presence of 10 % (w/v) NaCl. A phylogenetic analysis based on comparisons of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolate formed a clade with the type strains of the genus Lentibacillus. The levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between strain BH113T and Lentibacillus lacisalsi KCTC 3915T, Lentibacillus juripiscarius JCM 12147T and Lentibacillus kapialis JCM 12580T were 96.7, 96.3 and 96.1 %, respectively. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 46.2 mol% and the major isoprenoid quinone was MK-7. The peptidoglycan type was A1gamma (meso-diaminopimelic acid) and the major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0, iso-C16:0 and anteiso-C17:0. Therefore, on the basis of physiological, chemotaxonomic and molecular properties, strain BH113T represents a novel species within the genus Lentibacillus, for which the name Lentibacillus salis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BH113T (=KCTC 3936T =DSM 16817T).